NCJ Number
196476
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 29 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2002 Pages: 84-86
Date Published
August 2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article describes the necessity for and the implementation of a firearms safety system while conducting law enforcement training with firearms.
Abstract
This article describes reasonable strategies that law enforcement trainers can take to ensure safety on the firearms training field. Four safety rules are identified including: assume all weapons are loaded, never allow the muzzle of the gun to cover anything that you are not willing to shoot, keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are aligned on the target and you intend to shoot, and be sure of your target. A five-tier color coding system, which paints guns with a color according to the type of ammunition they contain to indicate live ammunition, a permanently disabled firearm, less-lethal guns (beanbag shotguns, gas guns), a firearm modified to fire paint ball or paint-type rounds, or a firearm capable of only firing blank ammunition, is considered essential for trainers and managers so that they can recognize what is being used in the field. In conclusion, the use of a layered approach to safety is emphasized, including specific certification of personnel for specific weapons only, never allowing live rounds to be used in training, never allowing a gun to be pointed at a non-target, and a color-coding system for weapons.